Saturday, November 30, 2013

no greenery this year. It's beyond my budget; last year, I lucked out and got a windfall from a neighbor who lost an evergreen to Hurricane Sandy.

everything is either from the flea market, Good Will or they are items I previously owned

the "garland" on the tree is the wire part of some wired ribbon. I bought a big roll of it at Michael's last year on clearance. I cut the wired edges off of both sides of the ribbon, cut them into manageable sections and wrapped them around my hand to curl. I then gently pulled them out - like a Slinky - and draped them on the tree. They give a delicate sparkle to the tree.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

No...no! Not that kind of prepper. Although I can get that crazed look in my eyes right about this time of year.

I'm a Christmas prepper. I am a one-woman show (anyone have a brother/cousin/uncle/dad who likes curvy dames with an attitude?) and I work a full-time job so my Christmas decorating time is a bit limited. I did it all in one fell swoop last Thanksgiving weekend and I will never do that again.

Another reason I have to "prep" is because I have a small living room and I have to re-arrange the furniture to accommodate my Christmas tree. No big deal, really (love those coasters for moving furniture!) but I also use this as a cleaning opportunity. I scrub my hardwood floors thoroughly and then make with the Murphy's Oil Soap. I clean the woodwork, the fireplace accessories and hearth, and vacuum the undersides of the upholstered furniture.

One thing that has to be moved in the process is an ornate reproduction Victorian birdcage. A find at Sam's Club years ago, I love it and it looks beautiful in the corner where the Christmas tree takes up temporary residence. In years past, I've disassembled the birdcage and stored it in a closet.

This is what I did with it this year.

I put it on my little front entryway. I filled it with all those odds and ends of faux Christmas greenery that is not exactly nice enough to use in any great amounts inside. I hung a wreath from HomeGoods ($49.99 down to $10 last year) on it, and stacked a couple of bundles of firewood underneath.

I think it looks so pretty and welcoming out there.

In other news, I scored this from GoodWill for $39.99. It's missing a small piece of trim (I think I can duplicate it) and it has a wobble (which I can definitely fix). I'm thinking French linen, Old White and silver leafing. And stripes. Definitely stripes.